Free spool spinning reel for trolling?

Anybody try one of those free spool spinning reels for trolling. Quick used to make one, but it's off the market. You could set the free spool with a seperate drag and then switch to the normal drag when you got a hookup. At the time it seemed like another button to push at the wrong time, so I never got one. After trying trolling with a loose drag and trying to adjust the drag with the fish behind you, it doesn't sound like a bad idea now. I think other manufacturers make them. Anybody ever try one, and are they worth considering. >< ))))))Â°>

Yesiree,
I used a Shimano Bait Runner 3500 with 10# Maxima on a 6 foot bass rod to troll-up an 18# Black Bonito with a Yo-Zuri minnow(old air brushed style) from an Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT. It was a 45 minute battle in the Sea of Cortez 2 miles out from the famous Rancho Leonero Resort on the East Cape of Baja. I only used the free spool feature to let line out gracefully and insure that the lure's hooks were tangle free. After landing that fish, my line was so twisted as to be unusable.It wanted to leap off the reel like a coil spring on steroids. It is very hard NOT to wind if the drag is letting off intermittantly on a tuff fish. I had to give the rig to a Panguero to let out all of the line behind his panga at speed and then re-spool it for me.

That said, an Accurate twin drag conventional reel, say a B270, or B870 puts any coffee grinder to shame for trolling. Sway it goes...

That said, an Accurate twin drag conventional reel, say a B270, or B870 puts any coffee grinder to shame for trolling. Sway it goes...

I agree and usually go conventional, but when you know there is a good probability that you're going to have to do some serious casting as well as trolling, a bait runner can fill in for 2 rods. The less I gotta carry, the happier I am!

Sudsy,
Yeah there is something cool about spinning reels. It is a love/hate thing and like you, if I want to do a lot of casting, I'll take one along. Using the baitrunner for letting live bait run is really really fun. I used to do that regularily on the cattle boats for baba-rara-cucu-dada. Moooo

That's the way to go, especially with bait, like a live eel. I use the baitrunner feature also with plugs. It prevents allows you to remove a rod from the holder with less tension. If you troll with the rod in front of you, like I do, it will also prevent a potential rod in the face. I use a Shimano Baitrunner 3500 or a Thunnus 6000. If I'm not casting much, I might use a conventional.

I have an older baitrunner knockoff from Pinnacle that's actually held up surprisingly well. I've used it for trolling live bait and lures with good success. I usually the lower drag until my lure/bait are nearly pulling off line at max paddling speed, then I slow down a bit and wait for the scream.

Check out the online store here (link is at the upper right of these pages) - I've been selling a ton of the TiCA baitrunners and have heard nothing but good stuff back from the fellers that bought 'em

Under $80 and loads of line capacity...lots of ball bearings and a killer TiCA drag - yah just can't wrong